Blade of the Whills
The Blade of the Whills is the Brotherhood of Grey Knights dispatched to fight alongside the Death Watch and Adeptus Mechanincus against a Chaos incursion on the planet of Belus IV in Sub-Sector Hades. Mission background Notable characters #Grand Master Aegir #Brother-Captain Enceladus #Brother Tethys (Dreadnought) Character traits Grand Master Aegir: *Weapon improvement - Shredder: Pick one of this model’s melee weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon: “You can re-roll wound rolls for attacks made with this weapon” *Psychic enhancement - Adamantium will: Add 1 to the number of psychic powers this character can attempt to deny in your opponent's psychic phase. *Characteristic modifier - Mighty: Add 1 to this model's strength characteristic *Additional ability - Deadly charge: Add 1 to the attacks characteristic of this model in the fight phase if it made a charge move this turn *Extra: Divine protection - Improve this model’s invulnerable save by 1, to a maximum of 3+ *Extra: Resilient - Each time time model loses a wound, roll a dice, on a 5+ it does not lose that wound Brother-Captain Enceladus *Weapon improvement - Finely balanced: Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon. Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon *Psychic enhancement - Add 1 to the number of psychic powers this character can attempt to manifest in your psychic phase. *Characteristic modifier - Mighty: Add 1 to this model's strength characteristic *Additional ability - Reactive tactics: This model, and friendly SUB-FACTION units within 6" of them, can charge even if they fell back this turn. Background and initial encounter The period of peace that followed the Xenos clash in Sub-Sector Hades was over—a Chaos incursion had begun. Though their purpose was still shrouded in mystery, the forces of Chaos had targeted Belus IV, a massive world near the edge of Sub-Sector Hades. Orders arrived that all nearby Imperial forces were to respond to the threat immediately. The Blade of the Whills, a Brotherhood of Grey Knights led by Grand Master Aegir and Brother-Captain Enceladus, had received the transmission of the Chaos incursion on Belus IV during a patrol of Sub-Sector. The Brotherhood was in the area following reports of the involvement of a Nurgle force in the recent nearby Xenos clash. The Grand Master ordered his forces to alter course and proceed to Belus IV. While en route to the planet, Brother-Captain Enceladus received communications from a contingent of Death Watch as well an unusual Adeptus Mechanicus force that were also responding to the call for Imperial forces. A Blade of the Whills scout ship happened to be patrolling near Belus IV when the orders arrived from Grand Master Aegir to proceed to the planet and as a result, were able to act as a rapid deployment strike force. As they arrived in orbit, Death Watch and Adeptus Mechanicus ships of similar class were warping in as well. The Paragon in command of the Grey Knight scout ship opened communications with his Imperial allies and devised a coordinated plan of attack on a small Chaos force which appeared to be protecting a resource extraction facility on the planet’s surface. Upon landing on the planet, it was clear that the forces of Chaos were well-entrenched. Due to their protected positions, the Grey Knights, Death Watch, and Adeptus Mechanicus struggled to breach the Chaos defenses. Although some blows were struck to their line, the heretics repelled the Imperial strike team from this position. Only a small number of Adeptus Mechanicus Infiltrators were able to break though the Chaos defense line and enter the refinery, but were too small in number to cause any significant damage. It was clear that the Imperium did not have the assets to force the enemy from their dug-in position and the decision was made to fall back. Once Grand Master Aegir arrived in orbit with his reinforcements, he was briefed by the scout team on the forces of Chaos that they had encountered on the surface. The Paragon described them as brutal and disciplined in their combat style, and not a force to the underestimated. Understanding that the Brotherhood was set to face a dangerous enemy in this fight for Belus IV, the decision was made to deploy a prototype Dreadknight in an effort to gain the upper hand. Although the suit had been in development for years, it had yet to be tested on the battlefield. Combining the maneuverability and flexibility of the traditional Dreadknight exoskeleton with the advanced armor and shielding of the Redemptor Dreadnought now used by the Primaris Marines, the Redemptor Dreadknight has the potential to give the Blade of the Whills the edge they need in the upcoming fight. Due to his extensive battlefield experience and vast expertise with all forms of Grey Knight weaponry, Grand Master Aegir would pilot the prototype Dreadknight himself as he led his Brotherhood alongside the Death Watch and Adeptus Mechanicus against the forces of Chaos in the battle for Belus IV. Faction bonus Forged in Battle: 3 extra slots Chapter 1 Resources Sectors *''Throne Sector (starting)'' *''Hive Sector (starting)'' *''Shrine Sector (starting)'' *''Agri Sector (starting)'' Encounter 1: Serpents of Progress Eager to secure resources to support his limited force, Grand Master Aegir led a reconnaissance team to scout an abandoned mining operation in a remote sector of Belus IV. Upon arriving at the facility, he sensed a disturbance, but proximity sensors did not detect anyone approaching. Following his instincts, he ordered his troops to take up defensive positions. As his Strike Marines began to wonder what exactly they were doing as there did not appear to be any hostiles in the area, an assault force from the Serpents of Progress appeared from the shadows. Grand Master Aegir’s disciplined teams immediately opened fire, but the hail of bolter rounds only managed to cut down a handful of cultists as the Alpha Legion Marines and Dreadnoughts slithered silently between the buildings to obscure their approach. Brother Tethys landed the most decisive blow as his initial volley of lasconnons and autocannons fire crippled an enemy Armiger Warglaive. The Serpents of Progress responded in kind and obliterated the Strike Marines which were attempting to hold the Grey Knights’ line. The Grand Master was rushed by several Serpents on roaring bikes, but was able to cut them down with ease. In an attempt to push the Alpha Legion forces back, Aegir called down a squad of Paladins, and while he was able to wreak havoc to the Serpent’s lines alongside his Paladin brothers, they were ultimately unable to punch through. With the Redemptor Dreadknight suit badly damaged, he called for a retreat and in a flash from the teleportarium, he and the paladins vanished from the mining facility. Brother Tethys, unwilling to stand down, fought hand-to-hand with enemy marines until his armor was dealt a crippling blow and he too, vanished in a flash back to fortress of the Blade of the Whills’. Once in the safety of the fortress, Grand Master Aegir and Brother-Captain Enceladus debriefed the survivors of the encounter and discussed strategy and tactics while servitors made the necessary repairs to their wargear. Encounter 2: Crusade of Endless Joy Still reeling from the damage inflected from the Serpents of Progress, the Blade of the Whills realized that they must augment their defenses if the battle for Belus IV was to be successful. Sensors indicated a fortress on a desert plains sector of the planet, and Grand Master Aegir realized the strategic importance of its location as well as the resources it likely contained. Further scans identified that a detachment from the Crusade of Endless Joy had already taken control of the fortress and greatly outnumbered even the largest force the Grand Master would be able to call upon. Nevertheless, he made the call to launch the assault. Estimating that a swift strike would be his only advantage, the Grand Master along with a contingent of Strike Marines teleported down directly into the fortress. Fire from their bolters rang out barely after they had even materialized from the teleportarium. Once he determined which was the more valuable enemy transport, Brother Tethys laid down heavy fire into a Rhino, but was unable to cripple it, a moment that would set the tone for the rest of the engagement. Brother-Captain Enceladus sent a squad of Strike Squad through a gate of infinity in effort to put pressure on the enemy’s front line, but although their fire was potent, it was not enough to punch a hole. Grand Master Aegir maneuvered up the battlefield as quickly as possible and laid down psychically augmented firepower against the numerous obliterators standing guard on a tower, but was unable to even damage their powerful daemonic forms. With their full attention now turned to him, his prototype armor was not enough to stand against their heretical firepower and he was forced to extract himself from the battlefield. Once he realized his own involvement in this battle would soon be over, Grand Master Aegir called down a contingent of Terminators and Paladins to continue the fight, the latter of which were joined by Brother-Captain Enceladus as they attempted to out-flank the well-defended fortress. While they were able to strike a blow to the enemy, it was clear that the Blade of the Whills did not have the assets to push the Crusade of Endless Joy from their positions. Brother-Captain Enceladus fought hand-to-hand with an unknown Daemon Prince, but having been already wounded from an earlier explosion, was outmatched. He activated his teleport homer just as the enemy was set to land a blow that would have likely killed him. Grand Master Aegir knew the battle for Belus IV would be difficult, but times were becoming even more dire by the day as the forces of Chaos consolidated power. Tactics would have to be reevaluated if the Imperium was to be successful in their defense of the planet. Chapter 2 Resources Sectors *''Throne Sector (starting)'' *''Hive Sector (starting)'' *''Shrine Sector (starting)'' *''Agri Sector (starting)'' Prologue The battle for Belus IV was becoming dire for the Imperium. The forces of Chaos were growing stronger not just in number, but in power as their campaign spread across the planet. Signs of warp influence on this planet have been numerous and significant and are seen by Grandmaster Aegir as the source of the Imperium’s enemies’ new power. With this phenomena identified, he has started to prepare his forces to harness it for themselves. Training began for the Blade of the Whills for how to master this new warp energy and incorporate it into their own psychic abilities and combat tactics, both defensively and offensively. Grandmaster Aegir instructed his forces in using this new energy to cloak themselves in warp shadows during battle in order to obscure their approach, enhance their senses to sharpen their combat abilities, augment their ranged weapons with psychic energy to strike at their enemies from afar, and focus their minds to smite their enemies with devastating force. With the training complete, Grandmaster Aegir could now only hope that these new tools would provide his forces with an edge as they prepared to engage the forces of Chaos again. His extensive knowledge of the warp allowed the Grandmaster himself to discover an even greater power. Through deep meditation, he was able to project himself across space in order to effectively exist in two places at once. This power is psychically draining for Aegir and can only be utilized over relatively short distances and periods of time. As such, only the most desperate of situations will warrant its use—this final stand for Belus IV would likely be such a time. Brother-Captain Enceladus was provided with his own additional training from Grandmaster Aegir. By focusing his psychic might, he was trained to strike with increased precision and unfetter his mind in order more efficiently utilize his psychic abilities. The Grandmaster additionally instructed Enceladus in the art of swiftly shifting tactics in the heat of battle for himself and his forces as the situation dictated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although the losses mounted for the Imperium early, there have been some moments of victory for the loyal servants of the Emperor. Taking advantage of a period of reduced defenses at Fleshmetal Forge, the Hammers of the Void and the Blade of the Whills struck this power center of The Crusade of Endless Joy. The battle was hard-fought and there were heavy losses on both sides, but the forces of the Imperium ultimately emerged victorious. The Hammers of the Void took control of the forge and efforts began to dismantle the Chaos technology and prepare it to support the Imperium’s battle to purge the heretics from Belus IV. During the assault on Fleshmetal Forge, the Exhumation Necroclade were locked in combat with the Serpents of Progress over control of a Mining Sector. In the dead of night, the unorthodox force of Adeptus Mechanicus warriors delivered a decisive blow to the Alpha Legion and forced their retreat from the area. Using the new resources from this Mining Sector, the Exhumation Necroclade would be able to raise a rare and powerful weapon to fight back against the approaching forces of Chaos. In the days following the Battle for Fleshmetal Forge, a routine scan of the surrounding space by Imperium sensors detected an unidentified and seemingly derelict ship drifting into orbit around Belus IV. Unusual energy signatures were emanating from the ship and it was decided that it must be investigated. The Hammers of the Void and The Blade of Whills, after making repairs following the battle to recover Fleshmetal Forge, prepared a boarding force. After docking with the derelict ship, it was quiet. The Death Watch and Grey Knight forces cautiously advanced deeper into the ship when their short-range sensors alerted them to approaching Chaos. Watch Captain Ulrach Varrox and Grandmaster Aegir prepared defensive positions and readied their forces to strike the arriving heretics. Vanguard units moved out and closed the distance between the forces of the Imperium and Chaos, quickly putting pressure on the heretics. This initial strike gave Varrox and Aegir the upper hand in this close-quarters fight. The Crusade of Endless Joy and the Eyes of Solomon responded swiftly and were successful in causing losses for the Imperium, but due to their advantageous positioning in the winding corridors of the derelict ship, the Death Watch and Grey Knights were able to arrive first at the source of the strange energy signature. Supported by long range firepower from Brother Tethys—his lasconnons and missiles erupting out of thin air from portals around the ship—Varrox and Aegir set up a defensive perimeter around the source of the energy signature and held fast against the oncoming heretics. After successfully defending against several waves of daemons and other followers of Chaos, the Hammers of the Void and the Blade of the Whills forced the heretics back to their boarding crafts and off the derelict ship. Returning to the source of the strange energy signature, a vault door was identified in a nearby bulkhead. As the two commanders approached, the door opened and it became immediately clear that the forces of the Death Watch and Grey Knights were drawn here, at this moment, for a reason. As the two crossed the threshold into the vault, the world around them turned to shadows. Their forces appeared to vanish from view, as well as they did from each other. Grandmaster Aegir was alone as he stood before a shrine adorned with markings of Chapter 666. Through the warp energy swirling around the room, a small gem, no larger then quarter, was visible floating within the shrine. It glowed so brightly with every color simultaneously that it simply appeared white. The Grandmaster slowly approached the shrine and picked up the gem. At that moment, he was instantly teleported off the ship and back to his base of operations. His troops reported a similar teleportation as soon as the Grandmaster entered the vault. Grandmaster Aegir immediately ordered a communication channel opened with the Deathwatch. The conservation was short—Varrox had experienced the same.